Beauty School Secrets: Slippery Scissors

Beauty School Secrets

"Slippery Scissors" by Beauty Apprentice

A haircut is an emotional and physical experience. Your hairdresser yields their beauty weapon of choice, snipping and shaping your perfect 'do. But what if the stylist has a different vision for your locks than you do? As a beauty school student, the thought of future clients is terrifying. They’re coming to you for service and results, and they expect you to hold up that end of the bargain. We’re on the other end of that experience.

Hairstyling is fundamentally process-oriented, and beauty school focuses on technique and ability over artistic vision. Our “client” practice starts in the lab, supervised. Volunteers come in for a trim, and our teacher walks us through consultation, sectioning, and process.

You may think procedure clashes with creativity, but many fail to realize the detail that goes into the entire experience of a haircut. The drape needs to lie correctly, the towel has to properly wrap around the neck, and the seat and sink must be precisely adjusted. That’s before you even touch a strand!

When you actually get to the hair, client protection and sanitation is our first priority. Are your brushes clean? Is your workspace neat? What do you do if you cut someone? My teacher once told us about his first male haircut. He accidentally nipped an ear with his scissors and thought it would be only a minor nick. He was wrong—blood gushed everywhere, resulting in embarrassment and stained towels.

Perfection doesn’t come without practice, and with practice comes mistakes. It’s a lot to take in at first, but beauty school is the time to develop sharp skills and a precise eye. And remember, even famous artists like Pablo Picasso and Vincent van Gogh started their career with humble beginnings. Master the basics first, learn from trial and error, and, unlike van Gogh, try not to cut off an ear!

Beauty Apprentice is getting an expert beauty education from inside the academic lines and reporting her experiences exclusively for Beautylish. She's not afraid to dish on the beautiful, the ugly, and the just plain weird parts of beauty school. "Don't think that beauty school is all girlie fun and games—it's hard work and long hours, and I'm ready to divulge everything they don't tell you in the brochure."